1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to alert devices, and more particularly to a detachable alert device and method of use for remembering children left in child safety seat.
2. Description of Related Art
Each year children are killed when accidentally left in a vehicle unattended. In extreme weather, a child may only need to be left in a vehicle a short time to be harmed or killed. Given the stresses of modern life, it would be helpful to have a device to remind a parent or guardian to take child from the child safety seat.
Various reminder devices may be found in the prior art. The following art defines the present state of this field:
Kalce, U.S. Pat. No. 6,998,988, teaches an electronic infant alarm system for automobiles for sounding an alarm when the driver seat is unoccupied. The system includes a pressure sensor pad for detecting the presence of a person in a car seat, and a belt buckle switch for determining whether a belt buckle is buckled into an infant car seat. A control box is electrically connected to the pressure sensor pad and the belt buckle switch. The control box outputs an alarm signal when the belt buckle switch indicates that the belt buckle is buckled into the infant car seat and the pressure sensor pad does not detect the presence of the person in the car seat.
Rackham, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,930,614, teaches a similar alarm system, integrated into a motor vehicle, that triggers an alarm if the driver's door is open and the engine is turned off but there still is an occupant in the motor vehicle.
Younse, U.S. Pat. No. 7,012,533, teaches a child car seat with a built-in cushion switch that closes when the seat is occupied. Push-type switches are added to at least one of the vehicle's side passenger doors, which determines when the car seat is occupied and when one of the doors is open. This enables the vehicle's internal beeper alarm, thereby reminding any occupants exiting the vehicle that a child is strapped in the back seat. Additionally, an inside temperature sensor is coupled to the micro-controller unit, which sets off a loud external alarm such as the vehicle's security alarm, when the temperature inside the vehicle goes above or below a safe preprogrammed environmental range.
The above-described references are hereby incorporated by reference in full.
The prior art teaches electronic sensor and alarm devices for indicating when a child has been left unattended in a vehicle. However, the prior art requires electronic sensor systems which can be expensive and difficult to install. The prior art does not teach a simple, non-electronic method of reminding the user that a child is in the vehicle. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.